Dear Friends,

The Novalis Project, a cultural impulse dedicated to the performance, practice and appreciation of the arts, was established in 2003 by members and friends of Camphill Communities. Novalis Hall, an architectural and acoustic gem set in Nottawasaga Camphill Village in Angus, continues to provide an ideal setting for presentations of drama, music and dance. 87 Toronto Street, a central location of a Camphill neighbourhood in Barrie now houses a cafe and assembly room where art classes and workshops are being presented for residents of the city and surrounding area.

- Treasa O'Driscoll, project coordinator.

		Treasa has released her new book titled "Celtic Woman, a memoir of life's poetic journey" and is now available in bookstores across the country. For more information visit: www.bluebutterflybooks.ca

February 12, 2012, 2:30-5:00pm

Location: Hesperus Village, Hesperus Road, Thornhill ON
Admission: $20.00 (Includes refreshments)

Fire and Rose,
a mystery of Love, in poetry and song

“Her presentation is pure ritual. Treasa O’Driscoll takes the audience on a journey into another world where people undergo a transformation.”
- Robert Sardello, author, Freeing the Soul from Fear

The rose is an eternal image of beauty and love, representative of an open heart. Fire is associated with inspiration, revelation and the descent of the Holy Spirit. T.S. Eliot predicted that all would be well when the fire and the rose are one. Drawing on her memorized repertoire of poems and songs, Treasa leads the audience in a meditative reflection on the theme. (Bring pen and paper)

Treasa O’Driscoll lives in Barrie and coordinates the Novalis Project. She is the author of, Celtic Woman, a memoir of life’s poetic journey (www.bluebutterflybooks.ca)

Celtic Woman is a magnificent chronicle of an individual's journey toward the process not only of self-healing, but of understanding and growing with the world around her…. There is a spirit of inquiry in this book that moves throughout these pages, animating every word and infusing the text with an energy that guides the will to love above the trials and tribulations of the world, and there it illumines as a beacon...
- Bruce Meyer, author, The Golden Thread.

Celtic Woman, is a rich feast of a book, part travelogue, part romance, part meditation -- and all of it poetry!  Like the best of memoir, it manages to touch on the most personal, intimate themes of a human life and at the same time to render them universal.  Readers will want to shout both Bravo! and Encore!
- Michael Lipson, author, Stairway of Surprise.

Please register at the Hesperus office
or call Marta at 905-764-0840

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THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
by John the Evangelist

Performed by David Anderson, Laurie Portocarrero, and Glen Williamson
Directed by Adrian Locher assisted by Benedicta Bertau.

Sunday, April 13, 2012

Location: Novalis Hall at 3:00pm
7841 4th Line, Angus, Ontario

Admission: $25 including refreshments

Three actors bring the drama and poetry of the Gospel to life with stunning simplicity and imagination, using only two chairs, a table and a few cloths.

“Meditative and almost balletic… beautifully stylised and executed…excellent. “(4 stars)
- The Herald, Edinburgh Fringe, 2002

“An exceptional piece of stagecraft… No matter what your religious belief—or lack of it— The Gospel of John is an extraordinary evening of theatre. You'll find yourself thinking about it, even discussing it with others, for days afterwards. What could be more rewarding?
- The Independent

“A terrific story with plot twists and turns that are classic. Riveting... Dynamic... A wonder..Brilliant.... the play has resonance and strength… triumphs and mysteries.”
- Pete Bergman, Berkshire Bright Focus.

“…a spiritual experience charged with passion and power.”
- The Stroud News and Journal

For reservations or registrations please call 1-705-722-5408,
or e-mail rsvp@novalisproject.com

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Saturday October 8, 3:00pm
Location: Novalis Hall, 7841 4th line, Angus, Ontario.
Admission: $20

Thanksgiving Concert

Featuring violinist, Emmanuel Vukovich,
accompanied by pianist, Philip Chiu.
The programme will include Bach solo violin pieces, Beethoven piano/violin sonatas, and a Mozart violin concerto

Of Croation and German descent and a native of Calgary, Emmanuel Vukovich graduated from McGill University in 2007 in music and environmental studies. He was leader of the Lloyd Carr-Harris String Quartet which won several national and international awards, including the 2005 grand prize at the Fischoff International Chamber Music Competition. In 2005 Emmanuel was awarded the Canada Council for the Arts Orford String Quartet Scholarship, and in 2006 he was the first recipient of McGill University's Schulich School of Music Golden Violin Award. He lives in Montreal and teaches at McGill University while pursuing a graduate degree in music performance. He recently founded an international, conductor-less chamber orchestra in Montreal, dedicated to the cultivation of artistic excellence. Previously active as a biodynamic farmer, Emmanuel is a passionate supporter of Protec-Terre-Quebec's first agricultural land trust.

Whether on stage as a prizewinning soloist, chamber musician, or accompanist, Philip Chiu has consistently demonstrated his comfort with all roles, having been widely acclaimed for the brilliance and sensitivity of his playing, as well as for his ability to connect with audiences. One of Canada's most sought-after collaborative pianists, Philip recently recorded a disc of Schubert duos with TSO concertmaster Jonathan Crow, toured across Canada with OSM concertmaster Andrew Wan, duo-pianist Janelle Fung, and will be touring Atlantic Canada with cellist, Genevieve Guimond in 2011-2012.He was an invited professor-accompanist at the Montreal Conservatoire de Musique in 2010, and is an accompanist-coach at McGill University.

For RSVP please call 1-705-722-5408,
or e-mail rsvp@novalisproject.com

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Sunday October 30, 3:00pm
Location: Novalis Hall, 7841 4th line, Angus, Ontario.
Admission: $20

The Refugees' Tale
Based on Goethe's Green Snake Parable

A magical tale of community transformation and redemption,
told among wandering exiles to raise their spirits.

Two accomplished storytellers, Laurie Portocarrero and Glen Williamson bring to life Goethe’s enigmatic cast of characters in a free rendering of this classic.

Audiences are calling it “Riveting.” “Spectacular.”
“Wonderfully dynamic.” “Deeply moving.”

For reservations or registrations please call 1-705-722-5408,
or e-mail rsvp@novalisproject.com

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People have often told Graham Jackson that they like the way he plays the piano, many appreciate his dynamic yet relaxed style and the singing tone he sustains. "The result is a soul-satisfying effect of 'rightness' that leaves one feeling somehow healed," remarked one of his listeners.

Graham's piano teacher had urged him to pursue a concert career as a young man. Somewhat daunted by the early success of his contemporary, Glenn Gould, he opted for a music degree instead and went on to teach in Waldorf Schools for seven years. He spent the next five years teaching piano at the Royal Conservatory and keyboard harmony at the University of Toronto and he also served as examiner for both these distinguished academies.

Graham eventually encountered the Camphill movement, working alongside his wife, Veronica, in the Pennsylvanian and South African communities for 14 years while rearing a family. He returned to Canada in 1982 (when he and Veronica had amicably separated) where he has continued to teach piano and faithfully play for eurythmy at the Toronto Waldorf School he helped found in 1968.

Camphill Nottawasaga Spring and Fall Fairs are often enhanced by Graham Jackson's musical presence. His forthcoming September 11 concert at Novalis Hall marks an important anniversary of our times and also affords our community an opportunity to celebrate Graham's lifelong dedication to the music of Chopin, an aesthetic calling which likely accounts for the pianist's remarkable youthfulness at just-turned-eighty-years-of age!

Please encourage your family and friends to come out in force for this first event of the Novalis Project Fall programme when we can happily meet and mingle after our long summer break.

For Register please call 1-705-722-5408,
or e-mail rsvp@novalisproject.com

Sunday May 8 2011, 3:00pm
Location: Novalis Hall, 7841 4th line, Angus, Ontario.
Admission: $10

Around the World
with Flute & Percussion
A dynamic presentation by
John & Kathleen Rudolph

Come and enjoy this enlivening and instructive event! Instruments provided for audience participation! Children of all ages welcome!

John Rudolph was appointed principal percussionist of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 1997. He teaches at the Faculty of Music at U. of T., the Glenn Gould Professional School and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada.

Kathleen Rudolph is much in demand as a recitalist, chamber musician and teacher. After 17 years with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Ms. Rudolph was appointed coordinator with the wind division of the Glenn Gould School, Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.

For Register please call 1-705-722-5408,
or e-mail rsvp@novalisproject.com

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2011 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Franz Liszt, one of the most awe-inspiring figures in all musical history. Luiz de Moura Castro, one of the world’s foremost interpreters of the music of Liszt, returns to Novalis Hall to present this special commemorative concert. Not to be missed!

"Master of masters… the complete control of sonorities and colours that you can extract from the instrument with technique, heart and thought, leaves me elevated in spirit… "
- Pierre Challier, foremost French music critic

A native of Rio de Janeiro, Luiz de Moura Castro began to study the piano at age 5 with one of the greatest pedagogues in Brazil and made his professional debut aged only nine. Renowned as a concert pianist, professor of music and adjudicator, he has performed in concerts and music festivals in the United States, South America, Europe, Russia, Korea, China and Japan. He lectures and concertizes annually on four continents in addition to teaching graduate courses in universities in the US and South America. He is included in Benjamin Saver’s book “The Most Wanted Piano Teachers in the USA” Vol.1. Ritmo Magazine counted his Piano de Cuba CD among the top ten recordings of 2000, declaring it:

…marvellous music translated into sound by a great pianist…
Imaginative, ingenuous, original!

For Register please call 1-705-722-5408,
or e-mail rsvp@novalisproject.com

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Rena Amiralieva was born into an acclaimed musical family in Baku, Azerbajan and was a seasoned performer by age 10. Subsequently garnering academic accolades and winning prestigious prizes in Russia and Europe, she emigrated to Canada twenty years ago. She has delighted audiences at summer festivals in Ontario with her “polished and brilliant playing” and her recent recitals at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Arts and Glen Gould Studio have established her as a concert pianist of rare accomplishment and repertoire. Rena has a keen sense of the elemental forces of fire, air, earth and water that attend all summer growth, forces that inform the music she chooses for this special programme that includes Liszt piano solos and choreographed interpretations by her fellow artist, Dianne, of the natural patterns and rhythms inherent in the music of Debussy that Rena plays.

Dianne Chapitis is a performance artist, choreographer and practitioner of the Mitzvah technique-an art of body alignment that informs her approach to dance and deepens her sensitivity to the movement and rhythm inherent in music. Her dancing incorporates patterns and activity seen in nature, a practice grounded in an honours degree in Kinesiology (University of Waterloo) ballet, modern dance, mitzvah technique, music and physics. She has performed in the Guelph Jazz Festival, the Distillery Jazz Festival in Toronto, a celebration of John Coltrane music in Syracuse NY, with classical musician Guy Few in Waterloo and Stratford musician, Loreena McKennett. In 2009 she created a dance solo for the University of Guelph choral concert, “Force of Nature”. She is also a member of this choir. Currently teaching in the opera department at the University of Toronto, Dianne maintains a private coaching practice and travels regularly to teach at the Juilliard School in New York.

Private Mitzvah Technique sessions with Dianne are available by appointment on Monday and Tuesday, June, 27/28.

For Register please call 1-705-722-5408,
or e-mail rsvp@novalisproject.com

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Glen Williamson in Performance
- Two Performances -

The Tragedy of Mephistopheles
Goethe’s story of Faust

Sunday, October 3, 3.00pm
Location: Novalis Hall, 7841 4th Line, Angus
Admission: $20.00
For reservations: contact 705-722-5408 or rsvp@novalisproject.com

An exhilarating one-man performance of Goethe’s dramatic work, freely rendered by renowned actor/storyteller, Glen Williamson

A tragic love story.
A battle for the human soul.
A search for a Goddess.
A parade of natural,
human and divine events.
… It’s more than a devil bargained for...

“A consummate actor in complete command of his craft.”    
- Berkshire Chronicleer

“This remarkable actor brings Goethe’s tale vividly to life.”   
- The Independent, New York

GLEN WILLIAMSON IN A ONE-MAN PLAY OF
TWO HEARTWARMING STORIES BY Kurt Vonnegut
“The Kid Nobody Could Handle”
&“Who Am I This Time?”

Monday, October 4, 3.00pm
Location: Novalis Hall, 7841 4th Line, Angus
Admission: $20.00
For reservations: Contact 705-722-5408 or rsvp@novalisproject.com

“Cheers and congratulations again! Your performance Tuesday evening was truly extraordinary. I feel so fortunate to have been there. I called Kurt [Vonnegut] the next morning and raved about you - then wrote him a note and raved some more.”
- Sally Forbes, Executive Director of The Beaux Arts Alliance, NY, NY

Glen Williamson, a founding member, in New York City, of The Actors’ Ensemble and New Directions Theatre, has appeared in numerous productions with both companies. He currently plays multiple roles in the touring productions of The Gospel of John and Goethe’s Tale of the Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily as well as the title role in Aeschylus Unbound, which Glen co-wrote with the late film star Mala Powers. Glen has given his one-man performances throughout the eastern and western United States, in Canada and Europe.

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Entering the Mystery of Fire & Rose

Saturday, November 27, 1.00-5.00 pm
Location: 87 Toronto Street, Downtown Barrie
Cost: $35 including refreshments. (RSVP by November 1, 2010)
For reservations: contact 705-722-5408 or rsvp@novalisproject.com

“Her presentation is pure ritual. Treasa O’Driscoll takes the audience on a journey into another world where people undergo a transformation.”
- Robert Sardello, author, Freeing the World from Fear

The rose is an eternal image of beauty and love, representative of an open heart. Fire is associated with inspiration, revelation and the descent of Holy Spirit. T.S. Eliot predicted that all would be well when the fire and the rose are one. Drawing on her memorized repertoire of poems and songs, Treasa leads participants in an interactive, meditative reflection on the theme that includes writing exercises. (Bring pen and paper and, if you like, a poem of your own.)

Irish born Treasa O’Driscoll lives in Barrie and is coordinator of the Novalis Project. Her book, Celtic Woman, a memoir of life’s poetic journey, has been well endorsed by other writers - please visit www.bluebutterflybooks.ca for details.

“Celtic Woman is a magnificent chronicle of an individual’s journey toward
the process not only of self-healing, but of understanding and growing with the world around her. There is a spirit of inquiry in this book that infuses
the text with an energy that guides the will to love above the trials and
tribulations of the world, and there it illumines as a beacon.”
- Bruce Meyer, author of The Golden Thread

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Sunday, May 2, 2010 at 3:00pm
Location: Novalis Hall, 7841 4th line, Angus, Ontario

Agri-Cultural Rite of Spring 
A concert featuring virtuoso violinist, Emmanuel Vukovich, pianist/composer, John McDowell and celebrated cellist, Julia MacLaine

Emmanuel and John, who practice music and farming side by side, have formed an international initiative, Music for Farms, which works to revive and sustain local organic agriculture and farming communities through the arts. Julia MacLaine joins them for this special concert at Novalis Hall. The programme includes the music of Bach and several original works in contemporary and classical idioms, such as their own acclaimed composition based on the Parcival legend. African drum rhythms are also employed to great effect by this exciting Trio whose creative arrangements reflect a weaving of eastern and western traditions.

Juilliard and McGill trained Emmanuel Vukovich is the recipient of Canada's first Golden Violin Award, as well as the Canada Council for the Arts Orford String Quartet scholarship. His twin passions of farming and music are brought to expression in this artistic Rite of Spring. John McDowell is best known as composer of the score to Oscar winning Born into Brothels. He has toured with platinum selling rock/world music band Rusted Root and his internationally acclaimed band Mamma Tongue. Julia MacLaine has been consistently singled out by critics for her rich tone, sweet throbbing vibrato and superb musicianship. Her performances at Carnegie Hall, in Europe, North and South America and Iceland have established her as one of today's prominent cellists.

Part of Music for Farms - A Novalis Anniversary Celebration
- Click here to learn more

Tickets:$20

For Reservations please call 1-705-722-5408,
or e-mail rsvp@novalisproject.com

Sunday, May 2, 2010 at 11:00am
Location: Novalis Hall, 7841 4th line, Angus, Ontario

The Music of Bach
a performance/workshop 
featuring
Eurythmist, Dorothea Mier, and Violinist, Emmanuel Vukovich

Eurythmy was developed by Rudolf Steiner in the early part of the twentieth century. He believed that all art is the revelation of concealed laws of nature and gave the world this art of movement as a means of bringing expressive elements in music and poetry into visible form through the finely tuned instrument of the human body. This collaboration between Dorothea Mier and Emmanuel Vukovich is a wonder in itself arising as it does out of their individual dedication to the music of Bach. They will share the process of their working together in the course of this performance. Come prepared to be touched in a part of the soul where you have never been touched before!

Dorothea Mier attended Waldorf Schools in England in her formative years. Having graduated from Michael Hall School, she studied piano at the Birmingham School of Music. Residing in Dornach, Switzerland, from 1955-1980, she worked as a member of the Goetheanum Stage Group and was renowned as a teacher of eurythmy. She became the director of the Spring Valley Eurythmy School in New York State in 1980, a position she held for over twenty years. Now retired, she is free to conduct workshops worldwide.

Of Croatian and German descent and a native of Calgary, Emmanuel Vukovitch graduated from McGill University in 2007 in music and environmental studies. He was leader of the Lloyd Carr-Harris String Quartet which won several national and international awards. Awarded the Canada Council for the Arts Orford String Quartet Scholarship in 2005, he became the first recipient of McGill University's Schulich School of Music Golden Violin Award in 2006. Emmanuel co-founded Music for Farms in 2008, a movement he promotes in his concerts for Community Supported Agriculture farms in Quebec, Ontario and in New York State and in his daily working life as a biodynamic farmer in Quebec.

The performance will be followed by a light lunch.

Cost:

Performance and Light Lunch:
$15 single admission
$30 families

Performance only:
$10 single, $20 families

Part of Music for Farms - A Novalis Anniversary Celebration
- Click here to learn more

For Reservations please call 1-705-722-5408,
or e-mail rsvp@novalisproject.com

Sunday, May 30, 2010 at 3:00pm
Location: Novalis Hall, 7841 4th line, Angus, Ontario

Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company presents
Evoking the Duende

The 'duende' works on the body of the dancer like the wind works on sand.... Lorca

Flamenco, originating in Northern India as a passionate mode of expression for travelling gypsies, is an enduring Spanish art form that speaks directly to the heart. Schooled in this complex form from childhood, Esmeralda Enrique epitomizes the individuality, clarity and sincerity of the true artist in her character and in her work. The innovative company she created is a driving force on the Canadian dance landscape. Esmeralda herself is a much loved and charismatic member of the Toronto dance community, a distinguished teacher and choreographer of international renown. Early booking is advised for this exciting ensemble's performance at Novalis Hall. Please reserve before May 20.

Click Here to read "A passion for Life" and learn more about the Duende and Esmarelda at Novalis Hall

Tickets:$30

For Reservations please call 1-705-722-5408,
or e-mail rsvp@novalisproject.com

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Upcoming Events at Novalis Hall

Sunday June 13, 3pm:
John and Kathleen Rudolph Around the World
with percussion and flute

Sunday, September 20, 3:00pm
Novalis Hall, Nottawasaga Village, 7481 4th line, Angus

A Celebration of Agri-Culture
in Concert and Film
Featuring virtuoso violinist, Emmanuel Vukovitch,
and pianist/composer, John McDowell

The programme includes Parcifal, an original composition; Beethoven Sonata, No.8, 2nd movement; a duo transcribed by Yehudi Menuhin and Ravi Shanker; Tango and jazz by Astor Piazzolla and the screening of a film entitled, Agri-Culture-Bach in the Barn, that presents excerpts of Emmanuel's several concerts for Community Supported Agriculture farms in Quebec, Ontario and in New York State where he and John collaborate as musicians and farmers, co-managing a Biodynamic CSA - Camp Hill Farm.

Of Croatian and German descent and a native of Calgary, Emmanuel Vukovitch graduated from McGill University in 2007 in music and environmental studies. He was leader of the Lloyd Carr-Harris String Quartet which won several national and international awards, including the 2005 grand prize at the Fischoff International Chamber Music Competition. In 2005 Emmanuel was awarded the Canada Council for the Arts Orford String Quartet Scholarship, and in 2006 he was the first recipient of McGill University's Schulich School of Music Golden Violin Award.

John McDowell is an internationally acclaimed, award winning pianist, percussionist, producer, commissioned composer and teacher. He has written and recorded over 100 pieces ranging from solo flute music to film and dance scores, a requiem, in classical, pop and jazz idioms. He regularly performs with his band, Mamma Tongue, at major venues and festivals including the Montreal Jazz Festival, Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors, and the United Nations.

Cost: $25 Includes Refreshments
(Some Concessions)

For Reservations please call 1-705-722-5408,
or e-mail rsvp@novalisproject.com

Sunday, October 11, 3:00pm
Novalis Hall, Nottawasaga Village, 7481 4th line, Angus

Presents acclaimed Brazilian pianist
Luiz de Moura Castro
in a concert of works by Schumann, Villa-Lobos, Liszt and others, accompanied by his wife, Bridget de Moura Castro, in a piano composition for four hands by Maurice Ravel

Master of masters… the complete control of sonorities and colours that you can extract from the instrument with technique, heart and thought, leaves me elevated in spirit…
- Pierre Challier, foremost French music critic

A native of Rio de Janeiro, Luiz de Moura Castro began to study the piano at age 5 with one of the greatest pedagogues in Brazil and made his professional debut aged only nine. Renowned as a concert pianist, professor of music and adjudicator, he has performed in concerts and music festivals in the United States, South America, Europe, Russia, Korea, China and Japan. He lectures and concertizes annually on four continents in addition to teaching graduate courses in universities in the US and South America. He is included in Benjamin Saver’s book “The Most Wanted Piano Teachers in the USA” Vol.1. Ritmo Magazine counted his Piano de Cuba CD among the top ten recordings of 2000, declaring it:

…marvellous music translated into sound by a great pianist… Imaginitive, ingenuous, original!

Cost: $20 Includes Refreshments

For Reservations please call 1-705-722-5408,
or e-mail rsvp@novalisproject.com

Friday, April 17, 8:00pm
Novalis Hall, Nottawasaga Village, 7481 4th line, Angus

Follies from Versailles
An Aradia Ensemble in a music and dance production

The Novalis Hall is proud to present the Aradia Ensemble in a music and dance production entitled Follies from Versailes. This concert features music from the French Baroque period, composed by Lullly, Couperian, Campra and Cléanbault and includes the Baroque Dancer Marie-Nathalie Lacoursiere. Mme. Lacoursiere will present Baroque dance pieces in full costume and period masks to the accompaniment of the ensemble.

This concert takes place on Friday April 17th with a very special presentation at the Novalis Hall in Angus Ontario.

Arts inspiring social renewal is the defining purpose of the Novalis Project. Established in 2003 by members of Camphill Communities and Sophia Creek Centre for the Arts, Medicine and Cultural life, it is dedicated to the performance, practice and appreciation of the arts. Its centre of activities is Novalis Hall, an architectural and acoustic gem set in Nottawasaga Village, Angus, Ontario, where adults with developmental disabilities work and reside in intentional community

Cost: $25 (Includes Refreshments)

To reserve: call 1-705-722-5408 or email rsvp@novalisproject.com

Sunday, March 22, 3:00pm
Novalis Hall, Nottawasaga Village, 7481 4th line, Angus

The Prater Duo in "Dance of Spring"
a performance of works by Russian, Hungarian, Czech and Spanish composers

Sister and brother duo, Rena (Piano) and Rufat (Violin), were born into an acclaimed musical family in Baku, Azerbaijan. Seasoned performers by the age of ten, they garnered academic accolades and won prestigious prizes in Russia and Europe before emigrating to Canada almost twenty years ago. These accomplished artists have delighted audiences at recent summer festivals in Ontario with their “polished and astonishingly brilliant playing.”The programme for this concert is reflective of the changes in nature. The duo's inspired performance is guaranteed to awaken hearts to the creative and life giving forces of Spring as we celebrate the first event of the Novalis Project 2009 seson. Please encourage family and friends to join you for this special concert!

Cost: $20

To reserve: call 1-705-722-5408 or email rsvp@novalisproject.com

Performances 2008| HOME

Sunday, November 23, 3:00pm
Novalis Hall, Nottawasaga Village, 7481 4th line, Angus

Experience the Russian Soul

Galina Victorova-Fin, playing piano & accordion, presents Folk Songs, Classical Music, Dance and Story

“She relives the passion and warmth of her childhood on the Volga River and brings them to life for all of us. With songs and stories, some of them biographical in nature and varying from folklore to classical, ranging from gypsy dances to the great Rachmaninov, you will leave this performance transformed in the heart and warmed in the soul. The beauty and depth of the eternal Russian soul and the joy of life lived in the search for Love will continue to resonate long after this performance.”
- Regine Kurek, Arscura School for Living Art

“Galina charmed the audience in Vancouver with her Russian songs and music. Folk songs, piano and accordion music, woven together with anecdotes from her experience brought us into the atmosphere of the simple Russian village where she grew up. With great joy the audience became participants, moving the steps Galina taught us for folk dances.”
- Susan Locey, Christian Community Priest

Cost: $20

To reserve: call 1-705-722-5408 or email rsvp@novalisproject.com

Sunday, October 19, 3:00pm
Novalis Hall, Nottawasaga Village, 7481 4th line, Angus

Music for an Autumn Afternoon

Harpist Rita Costanzi returns to Novalis Hall by popular demand to perform a programme of beautiful music for flute and harp with her long time friend and colleague Kathleen Rudolph. Rita now resides in New York and this concert celebrates the reunion of these two remarkable artists who enjoyed many years of success as a popular Vancouver duo.

Harpist, Rita Costanzi Heralded as an "artist of immense gifts", harpist, teacher, actress, composer, Rita Costanzi, continues to captivate audiences with the warmth, conviction and exquisite virtuosity of her playing. She maintains an international performing career as a soloist and chamber music recitalist.

“Rita Costanzi’s playing is full of lyricism. She explores the full range and colour of her instrument. Her playing has life and passion and never loses the ‘long line."
- Yo-Yo Ma

“If you were not completely bowled over by Rita Costanzi’s playing with the Calgary Philharmonic, then you weren’t paying attention or you weren’t there.”
- The Calgary Herald.

Flutist, Kathleen Rudolph Principal Flute of the CBC Radio Orchestra, Kathleen Rudolph is much in demand as a recitalist, chamber musician, and teacher. After 17 years with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Ms. Rudolph was appointed coordinator of the wind division of the Glenn Gould Professional School at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. Often featured as a soloist with the CBC Orchestra, Ms. Rudolph has recorded for the Skylark, CBC and Waterlily labels.

Cost: $25
Includes refreshments and conversation with the artists.

To reserve: call 1-705-722-5408 or email rsvp@novalisproject.com

Other Upcoming Events:

Sunday November 23 at 3pm:
A Russian Salon with accomplished pianist,
accordianist, singer and folk dancer Galina Fin

Sunday, September 28, 3:00pm
Novalis Hall, Nottawasaga Village, 7481 4th line, Angus

Emmanuel Vukovich
Solo Violin
in a programme of Quebecois and Celtic Traditionals, an original composition inspired by the legend of Parzifal and selections from the solo Sonatas and Partitas by JS Bach

Of Croation and German descent and a native of Calgary, Alberta, Emmanuel left home at sixteen to pursue music studies at the Juilliard School in New York City. It was during his four years in New York that Emmanuel was introduced to bio-dynamic agriculture. After a year’s leave of absence, travelling and working on farms in West Africa and central Europe, Emmanuel moved to live and work on a biodynamic farm in Durham, Ontario. It was here, as farm apprentice and co-director of Symphony in the Barn—an international summer music festival held on the farm—that Emmanuel first envisioned the possibility of uniting art and agriculture-his twin passions.

The following four years were spent pursuing his music and environmental
studies at McGill University in Montreal. During this time Emmanuel was a
member of the Lloyd Carr-Harris String Quartet which won several national
and international awards, including the 2005 grand prize at the Fischoff
International Chamber Music Competition, and which performed in Europe,
the United States, Australia and Canada. In 2005 Emmanuel was awarded the Canada Council for the Arts Orford String Quartet Scholarship, and in 2006 he was the first recipient of McGill University's Schulich School of Music Golden Violin Award.

Emmanuel now lives on a biodynamic farm near Montreal, where he cultivates and shares his love for music and farming.

Cost: $20

The Spiritual In Art

…a water colour painting course with Italian art master, Donald Hall

June 28/29, 2008 at Novalis Hall, 7841 4th line, Angus, Ontario

Explore the 'light' energy of the Black Madonna and experience Donald Hall's inspired approach to art history and his unique insights into the work of the great Italian masters.

Educate your senses and gain a practical understanding of Goethe's theory of colour.

Learn Donald's engaging exercises in colour, form and composition.

Enjoy meaningful social exchange with kindred spirits old and new.

Experience the tranquil, rural ambience of Novalis Hall and environs.

Create your own rite of passage into summer.

Mornings: 9.30-12.30pm       Afternoons: 2.00-4.30pm

Please bring dry watercolours or a set of Pelikan watercolour cakes and brushes-suggested sizes small, three quarters and one inch. Bring your own easel if possible-some can be provided. Course suited to beginners and advanced students alike.
        
Course fee, including paper, lunches and snacks: $225
(a non-refundable deposit of $35 is due before June 10) Cheques payable to Ita Wegman Foundation, 92 Mary St., Barrie, ONL4N1T1

“In working with Donald Hall and in hearkening to his profound insights on the great masters, I have renewed my connection with painting.”           
Denis Schneider, art teacher

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THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
by John the Evangelist

Performed by David Anderson, Laurie Portocarrero, and Glen Williamson
Directed by Adrian Locher assisted by Benedicta Bertau.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Location: Novalis Hall at 3:00pm
7841 4th Line, Angus, Ontario

Admission: $25 including refreshments

Three actors bring the drama and poetry of the Gospel to life with stunning simplicity and imagination, using only two chairs, a table and a few cloths.

“Meditative and almost balletic… beautifully stylised and executed…excellent. “(4 stars)
- The Herald, Edinburgh Fringe, 2002

“An exceptional piece of stagecraft… No matter what your religious belief—or lack of it— The Gospel of John is an extraordinary evening of theatre. You'll find yourself thinking about it, even discussing it with others, for days afterwards. What could be more rewarding?
- The Independent

“A terrific story with plot twists and turns that are classic. Riveting... Dynamic... A wonder..Brilliant.... the play has resonance and strength… triumphs and mysteries.”
- Pete Bergman, Berkshire Bright Focus.

“…a spiritual experience charged with passion and power.”
- The Stroud News and Journal

To reserve: call 1-705-722-5408 or email rsvp@novalisproject.com
at Novalis Hall, 7841 4th Line, Angus
www.novalisproject.com_ for information and map

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Performances 2007| HOME

Ballet Creole
Driven By the Rhythm of the Drums

Saturday, May 26th, 2007

Location: Novalis Hall at 7:30pm
7841 4th Line, Angus, Ontario

Admission: $35 including refreshments

“Ballet Creole is a vibrant company melding the vocabulary of modern and ballet with exuberant African and Caribbean dance styles.”
- Judy Stoffmann, The Toronto Star

“…creates a middle world between entertainment and ritual where audience, dancers and musicians can come together in an unprecedented way.”
- Rebecca Todd, Globe and Mail

Desserts, wine and other beverages will be served after the performance. Proceeds for this event go to the Abeona Community School now in the process of forming. Call Stephanie Van Leeuwan for information about the school and for advance tickets at 705-423-1030

For Reservations please call 1-705-722-5408
or e-mail: rsvp@novalisproject.com

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Presenting an Earth Day Concert with Mary Anderson and friends

The Haunting Magic
of the Celtic Harp

Sunday April 22 at 3pm
Location: Novalis Hall, 7841 4th Line, Angus, Ontario
Admission: $20 including refreshments

"One of Canada's finest harpists."
- Ottawa Folklore Center

"Simply a superb musician with a growing
reputation for excellence"
- Kitchener Waterloo Record

"Enough exuberance to set your feet to
dance and your heart to dream .."
- Folkharp Journal

Mary Anderson began her career as a harpist studying at the Royal Conservatory of music. Mary has evolved a style that encompasses traditional, jazz, classical, contemporary and popular sounds. Her playing has been called "aggressive", "refreshing", and "spirited", and she has been dubbed one of Canada's finest folk harpers.

Special Guest Rev. Bonnie Kelly will present
Maude’s Newfoundland Memories
The character of Maude is a composite of the many wonderful Newfoundland women that Rev. Kelly lived and worked with in her native Newfoundland when she served a United Church parish there. Maude has been shaped by a vibrant, happy community life and by the wild waves of the sea. Come and listen to her tales... She's sure to give you a laugh!

Please reserve by calling 1-705-722-5408
rsvp@novalisproject.com
Mailing address: Novalis Project, 92 Mary Street, Barrie, ONL4N ITI

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Monday, October 2, 7:30pm
Novalis Hall, Nottawasaga Village, 7481 4th line, Angus

Invitation
presented by Northern Light Eurythmy
from Basle, Switzerland

Recitations from Oriah Mountain Dreamer, Goethe, Rudolf Steiner and a story for children, interwoven with music by Beethoven, Arvo Pärt and others.

Eurythmy is an art of movement and gestures that reveals to the eye what language and music bring to the ear. It is a highly disciplined, expressive and meaningful form that demands the exercise of the whole human organism. This presentation will appeal to all age groups and it will provide a pleasant and uplifting experience for the entire family.

Cost: Adults: $10 Children: $5

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Thursday, November 23, 2006 7:30 - 9:45pm

World Premiere of the
Stornoway Productions documentary film
The Dark Side of Power

Following the viewing of this film, Dr. Patrick Boyer, Q.C. will then speak about his new book Powershift and lead the audience in a lively discussion about citizen engagement in the forthcoming dramas of Ontario’s energy sector.

The Dark Side of Power is a feature documentary that examines how politicians and officers of Ontario Hydro, once one of the most powerful electricity utilities in the world, dug its own financial grave, and how Ontario’s entire electricity sector now faces unprecedented challenges. Ontario’s electricity production has become a costly monolith and Ontarians face hard choices over potential alternative energies of the future.

Society’s great dependence on electricity was dramatized on August 14, 2003 when a power blackout plunged 50 million people in northeastern North America into darkness for several days. From cell phone networks to gas pumps, traffic lights and transit systems, refrigerators and manufacturing plants – everything went down. The public came face to face with their total dependence on electricity. Ontario, in particular, took a bruising hit, underscoring the essential nature of a reliable energy supply.

The Dark Side of Power uncovers the reasons for today’s critical power crunch and delineates the daunting challenges and possible future solutions.

Author J. Patrick Boyer, Q.C. draws upon his varied experiences as lawyer, university professor, journalist, Member of Parliament, film-maker and television host in presenting this issue of Ontario’s power. November 23 will be the publication date of his new book Powershift in which he shows how ‘power’ – both as energy source and as ability to govern – has caused and will continue to cause the transformation of Canada’s richest and most populous province.

A tour de force of searching and scholarly synthesis, Powershift weaves three strands of energy supply, political accountability and Ontario’s geo-political shift into a single tale with consummate skill and to dramatic effect. Dr. Boyer brings fresh eyes, a long view of history and the fruits of his frontline experience in pertinent fields to bear on a topic of import to every Ontarian as both electricity consumer and citizen. The possibilities and limits of democratic self-governance emerge as a central theme of this timely book, alerting us to the need for greater engagement on the part of citizens, not only in identifying viable energy sources for our increasing energy demands, but in ensuring that a powershift in the patterns of governance in Ontario will actually enable this to happen. First copies of Powershift will be on sale this evening and Patrick Boyer will be available for signing.

Location: Southshore Community Centre, 205 Lakeshore Drive, Barrie

Cost: $10

Sunday, November 26, 3:00pm

Operatic Arias and Songs

Claudette Leblanc and Stephen Harlands in concert,
accompanied by Derek Bampton

Dramatic soprano Claudette Leblanc has enjoyed a varied international career.
Her voice was declared by Fanfare magazine one of the most fascinating of 20th century music. Canadian tenor Stephen Harlands is a rising star on the national and international scene and joins Claudette in this exciting collaboration along with the distinguished pianist and teacher of child prodigies, Derek Bampton.

Location: Novalis Hall, 7841 4th Line, Angus

Cost: $20